


Years Upon Years

by thekingslover



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Friends to Lovers, Love Confessions, M/M, Oblivious!Dean, Pining, Pining!Cas
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-01
Updated: 2020-02-01
Packaged: 2021-02-27 18:56:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 435
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22500586
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thekingslover/pseuds/thekingslover
Summary: How many times did Dean not notice?Except now, suddenly, he does.
Relationships: Castiel/Dean Winchester
Comments: 16
Kudos: 137





	Years Upon Years

It happens suddenly.

Dean’s sitting on the couch, a beer in his hands, feet up on the coffee table. Cas is beside him, squinting at the tv. On the screen plays some reality show Dean doesn’t care about but Cas seems to enjoy. 

Cas sees something and laughs. He points. “Dean, did you see that?”

And no, Dean didn’t, because he was looking at Cas. At the crinkles by his eyes. At his big, toothy grin. At the line of his jaw, and the curve of his neck, and width of his shoulder.

And it hits him.

Dean loves him.

How many times have they sat right here, watching this tv? Drinking together, laughing. How many times have they been out, lost each other, reunited?

Years upon years.

How many times did Dean not notice?

Except now, suddenly, he does.

“Cas.” There’s too much weight in such a small word. It doesn’t come out right, a little wobbly, a touch broken.

Cas’s smile starts to fade. His brow pulls together. “What’s wrong?”

“I…” Dean struggles, mind moving a mile a minute. How did he never know? How could he not see? Why did he never let himself feel? Or have this, or… 

“I love you,” he says. That’s all he can say. That’s what all this boils down to.

Cas’s expression slides from worried to confused. He tilts his head a little. “Okay,” he says. “I love you, too.”

Dean frowns. It sounds too platonic, the way Cas is saying it. It’s not enough. He’s not getting it.

“No, Cas, I…” The words catch in his throat. They’re too foreign, too new. He’s afraid of them, but _no_. Dean Winchester isn’t afraid of anything.

Except he is.

So he does what he’s good at, what he knows. He inches closer to Cas on the couch.

Cas glances at the narrowing space between them. “Are you cold?”

“Cas.” Dean’s voice is different now. He’s always been more of a show than tell kind of guy. He’s more in his element now. More confident. More himself.

He places a hand on Cas’s shoulder. Then the side of his neck. Then his cheek.

Cas’s breath hitches. His eyes widen, and Dean’s heart could break for the hope he sees there. How long has Cas known? How long has he waited?

“Dean.” The name’s not any different from the other times Cas has said it, except it is, because now Dean knows. Now, Dean can hear the love and the longing.

He doesn’t have to wait anymore.

Dean leans in. Cas watches him. He smiles.

And Dean kisses him.

**Author's Note:**

> Posted on tumblr first. Come visit me, [thekingslover](https://thekingslover.tumblr.com/). I'm active again :)


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